I think I already told you how much I love that area. How do the huts work? Do you join the club first, and is it hard to get a reservation?
Hi,
@Christy ! You don't have to be an ACC member to get reservations. However, the per night cost is higher (around $36 per person compared to $25 for ACC members). Additionally, if you become an ACC member you can reserve huts up to a year in advance, whereas non-members I think can only reserve 30 or 60 days in advance, depending on the hut. We're a family of 4 and like to use the hut system in all seasons, so we get a $100 yearly family membership, because it is worth it both to get the nightly discount, as well as the advance reservation time.
How hard is it to get a reservation? Well, it really depends. It depends on the time of year and the hut. This hut at Lake O'Hara - the Elizabeth Parker Hut - is actually so much in demand during the summer, that the reservations are done by lottery in the October or November of the previous year. The summer season at Lake O'Hara is from the third week in June to the 1st week of October. A lot of people want to use this hut because not only is it in a great location for hiking, but Lake O'Hara is also serviced by a bus up the 12 km access road during the summer season. So, with the bus, you only have to hike in 1 km to the hut in the summer. So, getting a reservation in the hut in the summer is hard. I think it is fair to say that the easier the hut is to access, the more difficult it is to reserve it.
If you are willing to hike or ski the 12 kms in to Lake O'Hara during the 'off-season,' (like we were) its pretty easy to get spots - because most people aren't willing to do that. That is not to say that you don't need reservations. But most of the other huts are ok to get in the summer if you plan a little in advance, as well as the winter. The Kokanee Glacier Hut is also really popular in winter for ski touring, so that is via lottery as well for the winter season.
We're staying at the Elk Lakes hut in August with friends - we reserved the whole hut in March, and it wasn't a problem. I'm overnighting at Bow Hut in July, to do a little bit of ice fields exploring, and I haven't even made the reservation yet. Many of the huts aren't a problem to reserve. There are also always cancellations - I just lucked out on a cancellation and got an overnight with a friend at the beginning of October at Lake O'Hara again.
If you have any specific questions, I would be more than happy to answer them
Just let me know. I love the ACC huts, and I think they are a wonderful resource here. I would definitely encourage you to make use of them if you can.
For a complete description, check out:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/